← 1985 1984 1983 1982 1981 1986 in Wales → 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991
Centuries:	18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s
See also:	List of years in Wales Timeline of Welsh history 1986 in The United Kingdom England Scotland Elsewhere

This article is about the particular significance of the year1986 toWales andits people.

• Secretary of State for Wales –Nicholas Edwards^[1]
• Archbishop of Wales –Derrick Childs,Bishop of Monmouth (retired)^[2]
• Archdruid of theNational Eisteddfod of Wales –Elerydd^[3]

• 21 April –Elizabeth II is presented with a kilo ofWelsh gold fromGwynfynydd Gold Mine for her 60th birthday, in the knowledge that supplies are becoming scarce.^[4]
• May –Cardiff City andSwansea City are both relegated to theFootball League Fourth Division in England. Swansea, who were in the First Division between 1981 and 1983, recently came close to going out of existence due to huge debts.^[5]
• 30 June –Mardy Colliery, the last pit in theRhondda, is closed, but underground links toTower Colliery in the Cynon Valley enable the coal cut there to be raised at Tower.^[6]
• September – TheWales National Ice Rink opens in Cardiff.^[7]
• November –Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd (Beaumaris,Caernarfon,Conwy andHarlech Castles andCaernarfon andConwy town walls, designated collectively) become the first Welsh sites designated asUNESCOWorld Heritage Sites, in the first tranche of U.K. designations.
• December –Bersham Colliery, the last deep mine in theDenbighshire Coalfield, is closed.
• date unknown – A planning application is turned down atLlanrhaeadr, Clwyd, on the grounds that it would be detrimental to the Welsh language. It is the first time such a decision has ever been made.^[8]

• Alternative rock bandManic Street Preachers formed atOakdale Comprehensive School.
• Ballet Cymru formed as Cwmni Ballet Gwent, a touringclassical ballet company based inNewport.
• The firstWelsh Proms are held at St David's Hall,Cardiff.
• The Old Devils,Kingsley Amis's novel set in Wales, wins theBooker Prize.
• PublisherHonno is established in Aberystwyth to publish writing by the women of Wales.^[9]

• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held inFishguard)
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair –Gwynn ap Gwilym, "Y Cwmwl"^[10]
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown –T James Jones, "Llwch"^[11]
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal –Ray Evans
• Gwobr Goffa Daniel Owen –Robat Gruffudd,Llosgi

• Duncan Bush –Salt^[12]
• Mary Jones –Resistance^[12]
• Jenny Nimmo –The Snow Spider^[13]
• Christopher Norris –Contest of Faculties
• Oliver Reynolds –Skevington's Daughter
• Alun Richards –Days of Absence
• R. S. Thomas –Experimenting with an Amen
• Gwyn Alf Williams –When Was Wales?^[14]
• Raymond Williams –Loyalties

• J. Eirian Davies –Cerddi^[12]
• Bobi Jones –Hunllef Arthur^[15]
• Dic Jones –Sgubo'r Storws^[16]
• Rhiannon Davies Jones –Dyddiadur Mary Gwyn^[17]
• Elyn L. Jones –Cyfrinach Hannah^[12]
• Angharad Tomos –Yma o Hyd

• Arwel Hughes –Gloria Patri
• Daniel Jones –Cello Concerto
• Colin Ross –Prelude for Piano

• Y Cyrff –Dan y Cownter
• Bonnie Tyler –Secrets Dreams And Forbidden Fire (album)
• Chichester Psalms, featuringAled Jones

• Ibiza, Ibiza
• Milwr Bychan
• Rhosyn a Rhith (English:Coming Up Roses)

• Sam Tân (Fireman Sam)

• A Child's Christmas in Wales (adaptation of a short story byDylan Thomas)
• BBC Wales wins awards forPenyberth andMs Rhymney Valley 1985 (documentary) at theCeltic Film and Television Festival.
• Chris Stuart –Cha Cha Chat Show

• Athletics:Kirsty Wade becomes the first Welsh woman to win the gold medal in the 800m and 1500m at theCommonwealth Games.
• BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year –Kirsty Wade^[18]
• Boxing:
  • 9 April –Robert Dickie wins the British featherweight title.
• Cricket:Greg Thomas is capped for England.Matthew Maynard becomes the youngest player ever to score 1000 runs for Glamorgan CCC.
• Gymnastics: Andrew Morris becomes British men's champion for the third time.

• 9 January –Craig Davies, footballer
• 20 January –Hannah Daniel, actress
• 3 February –David Edwards, footballer
• 11 February –Robin Hawkins, singer and bass player
• 21 February –Charlotte Church, singer^[19]
• 21 March –Samantha Bowen, Paralympic sitting volleyball player^[20]
• 28 March –Jay Curtis, broadcaster and actor
• 31 March –Matthew Collins, footballer
• 11 April –Dai Greene, athlete^[21]
• 25 May –Geraint Thomas, cyclist^[22]
• 17 November –Joe Jacobson, footballer

• 8 January –Mansel Thomas, conductor and composer, 76^[23]
• 9 January –Wilson Jones, footballer, 71
• 15 January –Alfred Bestall, illustrator, 93^[24]
• 16 February –John Tripp, poet, 58^[25]
• 28 February – SirThomas Williams, lawyer and politician, 70
• 1 March –Tommy Farr, boxer, 72^[26]
• 5 March –Lewis Valentine, political activist, 92^[27]
• 10 March
  • E. Gwyndaf Evans, poet and archdruid, 73^[28]
  • Ray Milland, actor, 79^[29]
• 14 March – SirHuw Wheldon, television producer and presenter, 69
• 30 April –George Whitcombe, footballer, 84
• 5 June –John Bevan, Wales rugby union coach, 38
• 29 July –Gordon Mills, music industry manager, 51^[30]
• 29 August –Annie Powell, politician and Wales's first Communist mayor, 79^[31]
• 18 September –Elwyn Davies, university and cultural administrator, 77^[32]
• 1 November –Tom Arthur, Wales national rugby player, 80
• 6 November (atHenley-on-Thames) –Howard Thomas, radio producer, 77
• November/December –Ivor Davies, Liberal politician, journalist and administrator, 71^[33]
• 13 December –Glyn Daniel, archaeologist, 72^[34]
• date unknown
  • Geoffrey D. Lloyd, journalist
  • Fred Warren, footballer, 78

• 1986 in Northern Ireland

• 1986 in Wales
• 1986 by country
• 1986 in the United Kingdom
• Years of the 20th century in Wales
• 1980s in Wales
• 1986 in Europe

• CS1 Welsh-language sources (cy)
• CS1: long volume value
• Articles with short description
• Short description is different from Wikidata
• Articles containing explicitly cited English-language text